Iran launched multiple ballistic missiles at American forces in the Middle East on Tuesday, ending a brief pause in fighting as mediators tried to get both sides back to negotiations and toward a ceasefire, the U.S. military said. All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted, U.S. Central Command said in a statement, adding that U.S. forces “remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness.”
Earlier in the day, President Donald Trump met with
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — the first meeting since the two leaders launched a joint war against Iran and a chance for Netanyahu to smooth out strains in their relationship.
Trump also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday ahead of Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral, which was their second sit-down this month.
Later, Trump joined guests and foreign leaders at Washington National Cathedral to eulogize Sen. Lindsey Graham, who rose to become one of his generation’s more influential U.S. politicians at home and abroad.
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The Ukrainian president is watching the Senate vote on Russian sanctions from the chamber’s gallery, waving at the voting senators from above.
Zelenskyy met with senators from both parties before the vote.
The bipartisan sanctions bill would penalize countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas and other exports after more than a year of negotiations.
Recent fighting with Iran used up more of the U.S. military’s already diminished stockpiles of advanced missile interceptors, potentially putting American troops at more risk if hostilities resume, a new analysis says.
Shrunken inventories of Patriot and THAAD interceptors may force the U.S. and its Middle East allies to take more risks to conserve those air defenses, according to the analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank.
For example American forces may launch fewer missiles against incoming Iranian drones and missiles, raising the chance of one getting through.
The nation’s advanced weapons stockpiles have become a flashpoint in the five-month-long conflict, along with the threat to the lives of American service members, heightened gasoline prices and increasing costs to taxpayers.
The vote Tuesday puts a permanent director in the job weeks after Trump sought to delay his nomination.
Clayton is the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and a former Securities and Exchange Commission chair.
Republicans had initially hoped to confirm Clayton in June, but Trump delayed his hearing in order to allow his temporary pick for the job, Bill Pulte, to take over for several weeks.
The last director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, resigned in May.
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Ogles, who is looking to win a third term, is facing a challenge in the 5th District’s Republican primary from Charlie Hatcher, a dairy farmer and former Tennessee commissioner of agriculture.
Trump sought to give Ogles a boost with a tele-rally, reminding Tennessee Republicans that he gave the incumbent an early endorsement. Tennessee’s primary is Aug. 6, and early voting is underway.
“He’s been a friend of mine. He’s been a terrific guy,” Trump said of Ogles.
The U.S. military says Iran has launched multiple ballistic missiles at American forces in the Middle East, shattering a brief pause in fighting as mediators tried to get both sides back to negotiations.
All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted on Tuesday, according to the U.S. Central Command on social media. It says U.S. forces “remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness.”
The Pentagon says a new, separate category was created in its official casualty tally for those killed and wounded in the renewed U.S.-Iran fighting because “Operation Epic Fury” has ended.
That’s the military’s official name for combat operations in Iran. The Defense Casualty Analysis System has removed the four soldiers killed and dozens of troops wounded in the latest exchange of fire from its Iran war tally and placed them in a new category called “Overseas Operations.”
A Pentagon official said Tuesday that since Operation Epic Fury has concluded, the military has decided to classify casualties tied to the latest strikes in the new category.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters, wouldn’t offer a date for the formal end of the operation.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters at a White House briefing in May that the operation had “concluded,” saying that “we achieved the objectives of that operation.”
A White House teleprompter operator who was put on unpaid leave after new reports stated he had used inside knowledge to make bets about Trump’s speeches on the online prediction market Kalshi is no longer in his post, according to a White House official familiar with the matter.
The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly about the personnel matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed on Tuesday that the teleprompter operator, Gabriel Perez, “no longer works in the federal government.” The official did say whether Perez had resigned or was fired.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed earlier this month that Perez had been placed on unpaid leave after ABC News reported the teleprompter operator had used his inside knowledge to win more than $100,000 betting on what the president would say in big speeches, including the State of the Union address earlier this year.
— Aamer Madhani
The U.S. Air Force has begun taking steps to rename Joint Base Charleston in honor of the late South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, an Air Force official says.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal military matters, said Air Force Secretary Troy Meink signed a memo Monday to begin the process of renaming the base to Joint Base Lindsey Graham.
The official said there was no immediate timeline on how long the process would take to rename the base, which is adjacent to Charleston International Airport. The renaming was reported earlier by the Post and Courier.
Graham served in the Air Force, the Air Force Reserves and the Air National Guard for more than 30 years as a lawyer before retiring at the rank of colonel, according to his Senate website.
He was honored at a memorial service Tuesday after he died suddenly on July 11.
—- Konstantin Toropin
Speaking at the lectern during his tribute to Graham, Trump paused to note the difficulty of the moment.
“I will say, this memorial service — it’s so hard to say: memorial service for Lindsey,” Trump said before continuing.
Toward the end of his roughly 12-minute tribute, Trump looked upward and suggested Graham was “watching us” now.
“Our nation needs more men and women like that great person sitting, laying — wherever he may be,” Trump said. “I think I know where he is, and I think he’s up there. I think he’s watching us. I’m pretty sure of it.”
Trump recalled the passionate defense Graham issued during the confirmation hearing in 2018 for now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, during Trump's first term as president.
Christine Blasey Ford had come forward and accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a party when they were in high school, an allegation he denied.
Graham, who was a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee considering the nomination, passionately defended Kavanaugh, who later was confirmed to the high court.
“His impassioned defense of a wonderful person, a great gentleman, Justice Kavanaugh, ended a disgraceful attack on this very good man and gave us one of the greatest moments the Senate has ever seen,” Trump said. “It was a truly monumental moment in Senate history. I believe it was Lindsey’s perhaps finest hour.”
Kavanaugh was among the mourners at Washington National Cathedral.
Trump remembered Graham as someone who became a “constant fixture of American politics at the highest level, and a force to be reckoned with all over the world.”
“For more than 30 years, nothing of consequence happened in this capital without Lindsey Graham knowing about it. Nothing of significance happened anywhere in the world without Lindsey Graham having a view on it,” Trump said. “And no bill became law in the most exceptional Republican human history without Lindsey Graham having a say in it.”
“He was a man who gave America the full measure of his good and mighty heart until that heart itself just gave out,” Trump said.
Trump said Graham “went out at the peak of his career and the top of his game.”
In a video posted on his Instagram account, Netanyahu described his meeting with Trump on Tuesday as “excellent.”
He added that it was “a conversation with full partnership, with mutual support, with an understanding of the common goal of ensuring that Iran does not have nuclear weapons, and other goals as well. One of the best conversations I’ve had with the President of the United States, our friend Donald Trump.”
The Israeli Prime Minister met with Trump in the White House for about 90 minutes of talks, in a meeting that was closed to press coverage. He said that Trump’s “entire senior team” was present at the meeting, as well as “our senior team,” and that it was “an opportunity to exchange ideas and to coordinate arrangements that are important for the security and future of the State of Israel.”
The Israeli prime minister departed after about 90 minutes of talks.
As he was leaving, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt released a statement on X noting that Trump had concluded his meetings with Netanyahu and Zelenskyy.
She said: “Both meetings were positive and productive!”
They were closed to press coverage.
The event was held in Washington on Monday evening and was also attended by Graham’s sister and replacement in the Senate, Darlene Graham, as well as other relatives, friends of the late senator, “senior administration officials and members of Congress,” according to a statement by Netanyahu’s office.
Speaking at the event, the Israeli leader praised Graham as “deeply committed to the security of the United States, to the security of Israel, and to the ongoing fight against anti-Semitism,“ the statement said.
Netanyahu, who is meeting with Trump at the White House, is among several foreign leaders who are expected to attend Graham’s Washington funeral held later on Tuesday.
“America has lost a great patriot. Israel has lost one of its greatest friends and supporters. And I have lost a dear friend,” Netanyahu said at the memorial dinner.
In a social media post afterward, the Ukrainian leader said his first act was to offer his condolences to Trump on the death of Graham, who was close to Trump and a strong supporter of Ukraine.
Zelenskyy says he and Trump discussed licenses for Ukraine to produce Patriot interceptors and “several other ideas that could help.” They also discussed diplomacy.
Zelenskyy said he expressed gratitude to the United States for “its firm support” and said their teams will arrange future communication.
The White House closed the meeting to independent journalists. Zelenskyy released photos showing him posing with Trump and that U.S. secretaries Rubio, Bessent and Hegseth attended the Oval Office meeting.
Iran says recent U.S. strikes destroyed an airport and a marine control tower, and caused damage to 12 bridges and two tunnels, among other infrastructure.
Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani provided the details Tuesday in an announcement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency.
The U.S. military said it struck numerous military targets this month in response to Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Arab countries hosting U.S. forces.
Both sides paused their attacks over the weekend, though tensions remain high.
Mohajerani said Bushehr International Airport, on the Persian Gulf, has been “rendered inoperable.” Both tunnels have been reopened and alternate routes have been established around the damaged bridges, she said.
She said other civilian infrastructure had also been destroyed, including a meteorological center and fishing boats. The U.S. says it targeted small boats used by Iranian forces to harass ships in the strait.
Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., placed both hands on his casket and then placed her hand on her heart. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., saluted from her wheelchair. And Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., gave a fist bump.
Scores of former senators also traveled to the Capitol to pay their respects, including former Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., who bowed and then briefly kissed the casket.
Others stood briefly before his casket and offered a short prayer and a sign of the cross.
The black SUV carrying the Israeli prime minister arrived on West Executive Avenue minutes after Zelenskyy departed after his own meeting with Trump.
Ambassador Danny Danon told U.N. reporters Tuesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu definitely wants to hear from Trump what he wants to see in the coming days or weeks.
“I cannot tell you which direction it will go. There are different options,” he said. “We are prepared for all scenarios, and we will discuss it with the president.”
Danon was responding to a question on whether Israel expects the two leaders to talk about specifics of scaling down or ending the war in Iran.
“Well, I’m sure that will be number one on the agenda in the meeting today between the prime minister and the president,” he replied.
Amid somewhat strained U.S.-Israeli relations, Danon stressed, “We fought shoulder-to-shoulder against Iran, and we are prepared to continue supporting the U.S. in pursuing peace and stability in the region.” He added that Gaza will also be on the Trump-Netanyahu agenda.
“I traveled with Lindsey all over the world as part of the congressional delegations and I saw firsthand just how much he was respected by our allies and just how well he was able to connect with foreign leaders around the world,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said.
Thune and others are honoring Graham at a tribute Tuesday in the Capitol Rotunda.
Thune and others also cited Graham’s sense of humor. He said that when lawmakers would gather for dinners in Washington, Graham was always the first call. He said no one was more capable of cracking up a room.
Choking up, he closed by telling Graham to “rest in peace my friend.”
“I look forward to the days when you make us all laugh again,” Thune said.
The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell to 90.8 in July from 92.2 in June.
Consumers’ view of current business and labor market conditions fell by 3.6 points to 114.9, the third straight monthly decline.
Views about their near-term futures held steady from last month with a reading of 74.7.
Consumer attitudes had improved modestly in June as gas prices came down to around $3.70 a gallon from more than $4.50 a gallon in late April and early May. But as fighting in the Middle East escalated, the average price for a gallon of gas in the U.S. started to rise again. On Tuesday it was $4.10, according to the auto club AAA.
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The White House says the meeting started at 9:47 a.m. It is “closed press,” meaning journalists at aren’t likely to see the leaders together in the Oval Office.
The remains of the Republican senator have arrived at the U.S. Capitol, his flag-draped casket carried inside by an armed forces team, in recognition of his military service.
He’s being honored at a tribute in the Rotunda, the start of two days of services for the South Carolina senator.
Vice President JD Vance is expected to speak and several Cabinet officials, including former Sen. Markwayne Mullin, the Homeland Security secretary, were in attendance, as was acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who faces a rocky Senate confirmation for the job.
The threat came in response to Trump’s post on social media last week, in which he threatened to use Iranian assets frozen abroad to pay for damage to ships from Iranian attacks in the strait.
Ebrahim Zolfaghari, the spokesperson for Iran’s joint military command, said Tuesday that any countries or companies that join in Trump’s “unlawful action” will be barred from using the strait. The critical waterway carried a fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas before the war. His video message was carried by Iranian state TV.
Trump had said damage to ships would be “paid for by Iranian Money that the United States has in its possession, and controls.” It was unclear what legal mechanisms Trump would use to seize and spend the funds.
Bill Pulte, the acting director of national intelligence, has sought to leave his mark during his interim status in the job.
With the Senate poised to confirm Jay Clayton for the role, Pulte released Tuesday on X a series of intelligence community documents from 2020 that described China’s capacity to interfere in the American political process as well as vulnerabilities in the election system.
The substance of the material was largely recycled and already known, but its disclosure is part of a broader Trump administration effort to raise concerns about the integrity of U.S. elections — most especially the 2020 presidential race he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.
Pulte has also presided over a downsizing of the national intelligence office, which functions as a coordinating hub for the U.S. government’s intelligence agencies.
He boasted on X that with a latest round of job cuts, the office is carrying out about a 30% staff reduction from weeks ago.
Trump has repeatedly retreated from threats to knock out bridges, power plants and other infrastructure but he told Fox News Channel in an interview that Iran knows he’ll “finish the job” if its leaders don’t make a deal to end the war.
He says millions of people would then struggle to get by.
Trump claimed he would need less than an hour to “take out” most of Iran’s bridges and said he could blow up their power plants “within one day” and then target desalinization plants.
“You know, if I can avoid doing that, I’d like to do that,” he said.
The president says he’s not worried about construction activities at Iran’s potential nuclear site at Pickaxe Mountain, a complex Trump has threatened to bomb.
And Trump criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for publicly expressing concerns about the site ahead of the two leaders’ meeting Tuesday at the White House.
“I know exactly what’s going on at Pickaxe,” Trump told “Fox & Friends,” adding that whatever Iran is doing is “not a big problem.”
On Netanyahu’s statements ahead of his visit to Washington, Trump said, “Why don’t you just tell it to me? Why do you have to announce to the world.”
The bilateral huddle, on the same day that both men are attending the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral, is the first since Netanyahu and Trump launched their war in Iran five months ago.
Speaking fondly about his friend and ally, Trump said he admired Graham as a nice person who was quick to call for military action.
“He was a guy that liked war,” Trump said Tuesday in a Fox News interview. “I jokingly say, and there’s nothing funny about it, but he’s never seen a war that he didn’t like.”
Trump added that Graham was “very much a hawk on Iran” but had also told Trump it was time to make a deal to end the war. That sentiment did not extend to the Russia-Ukraine war, Trump said.
“Ukraine he’s very militant about,” Trump said. “Lindsey liked war, to be honest with you.”
It will ensure that a permanent director is in place as the midterm elections approach.
Clayton is expected to be confirmed along party lines after a contentious hearing two weeks ago in which he repeatedly refused to say that former President Joe Biden won the 2020 election. Still, Democrats have said they have more confidence in Clayton than they do in Trump’s temporary pick for the job, Bill Pulte, who has no known intelligence experience and investigated the president’s perceived enemies in his previous post as a federal housing regulator.
Senators from both parties have expressed concerns about Pulte, who took over on an interim basis last month after Tulsi Gabbard resigned. Pulte was in charge when Trump delivered a speech from the White House earlier this month doubling down on his false claims about the 2020 election, which he lost, and released classified documents he said were relevant to his arguments.
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Only foot traffic is allowed on streets surrounding the complex. Vehicular traffic is blocked by city police cars and dump trucks at key intersections, like Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th St and near Lafayette Park.
Netanyahu is staying at Blair House, the U.S. government’s guest house across from the White House.
Zelenskyy has the first meeting with Trump, scheduled for 9:30 a.m., followed by Netanyahu at 11 a.m.
Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet Tuesday ahead of Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral, their second sit-down this month and after a far-right activist with the U.S. president’s ear had a widely publicized change of heart on Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Trump is set to welcome Zelenskyy to the White House as the Ukrainian leader travels to Washington to honor Graham, whose final act as a public official was visiting Kyiv and securing an agreement on a package of sanctions that seek to punish countries that purchase Russian oil, gas and other exports.
Zelenskyy posted on X early Tuesday that he had arrived in the U.S. and listed the goals for his visit.
“Our schedule includes meetings with President Trump, his team, and those who can support our defense,” the Ukrainian leader said. “Our number one priority is anti-ballistic defense and strategic cooperation with America. Peace needs to be brought closer.”
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with Trump on Tuesday is the first since the two leaders launched a joint war against Iran and a chance for Netanyahu to smooth out strains in their relationship.
The meeting comes as both face growing pressures at home. Netanyahu is up for reelection and is embattled in part because of his deteriorating relationship with Trump. Trump is under pressure to end an unpopular war that has wreaked economic havoc and driven prices higher ahead of midterm elections this November.
The two leaders also plan to discuss the framework agreement the U.S. and Israel signed with Lebanon over the Israel-Hezbollah war and the expansion of the Abraham Accords, according to a White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the meeting.
“We have a little difference,” Trump said Monday when asked by reporters if he and the Israeli prime minister were on the same page with Iran. “But pretty close, yeah.”
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